Pages

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Finding a rainbow of French sweetness, in an SM supermarket of all places.

Chateau de France. A mere mention whips me up into a Parisian dream where streets overflow with tables and chairs, each cafe emitting wondrous aroma of freshly baked breads, perhaps a loaf of baguette or some buttery, flaky croissants. A whiff of coffee follows, and you're doomed to just sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery.

But then I jolt back to reality, 'coz in this boulangerie, there are no wicker chairs or little round tables holding cups of cafe au lait and newspapers. Here, we have only a grocery store for a view and artificial fluorescent lights to bask in. No matter, I'm just here for the macarons; the cheese I leave for next time.

I get a box of six, and I start with the Orange, which had a nice balanced zest to it. Next I grab the Pistachio, its nutty flavor definitely there, albeit subdued. The Fig reminds me of one of my childhood snacks, the Fig Newton, only this is much softer. I counted on the Raspberry to be my favorite, but the tartness I hanker for is lost on me. It is nothing but sweet, and sweet is unfortunately not high up on my food list. Good thing my next bite-the Lemon-has a strong citrusy taste that overrides whatever saccharinity is left on my palate. The last one is the Chocolate which had this dark, slightly bitter taste. The macarons generally have a delicate shell which crumbles to the slight hold of your index finger and thumb. Beneath the shell lies a very soft ruffled circumference known as the foot of the macaron, which is a bit moist and melts easily with the touch of your tongue. Theirs is definitely not like others that feel hollow when you bite into it, this one comes with more, shall I say, "meat".

Aside from macarons, Chateau de France also proffers different types of bread and pastries, a variety of cheeses, and charcuterie. They also serve some sandwiches, salads, quiche and drinks. A touch of Paris in the middle of Makati.